Join a rapidly growing career path
If you are a nurse looking for more responsibility, excellent earning potential and a greater sense of purpose and professional fulfillment, becoming a family nurse practitioner (FNP) might be the path that leads you there.
Your services will be in high demand and you’ll have what it takes to be a difference-maker in healthcare across America.
Take these steps to become a family nurse practitioner:
Roles & Responsibilities
1. Understand the role: What does a Family Nurse Practitioner do?
Traditionally healthcare delivery has centered around physicians to diagnose illness, prescribe treatment and medication and assume responsibility for a patient’s well-being. Today the roles of healthcare providers have evolved. With the changes in healthcare reform, family nurse practitioners are serving an increasingly vital role in caring for families.
As our population continues to grow and age, the corresponding need for qualified providers to efficiently and effectively care for patients is skyrocketing. This has led to new and expanded roles for nurse practitioners who are trained to assess, diagnose, treat and manage illnesses in various patient populations.
Nurse practitioners are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) educated at the master’s level or higher. They typically work in emergency rooms, primary care clinics, urgent care centers, and hospitals treating patients with a range of illnesses and/or life-threatening conditions. The primary care FNP is certified and licensed to treat patients of all ages in a variety of settings.
Learn everything you need to know about what a family nurse practitioner is and what they do.
Life as a family nurse practitioner: career profile
U.S. News and World Report ranked nurse practitioner #1 on its 2023 list of Best Health Care Jobs and #2 on its list of the 100 best jobs in America. It ranks so highly, in part, because of the tremendous job satisfaction FNP-trained nurses report as they gain more and more autonomy as primary healthcare providers. The annual report also factors in growth potential, work-life balance and salary.
Increasingly, a family nurse practitioner provides services for which patients would have historically waited weeks to see a physician, especially in rural areas where there is a shortage of primary family practice providers.
Where can you work?
As an FNP, you’ll have a lot of options when it comes to choosing the type of setting where you’ll work every day. Whether you choose to focus your career in family practice, geriatrics, pediatrics, Ob-Gyn, neonatal (ICU), urgent care, surgical/OR, internal medicine or primary care, you’ll be a valuable addition to a staff at a broad range of healthcare facilities, including:
- Urgent care sites
- Private physicians or NP practices
- Nursing homes
- Home health agencies
- Outpatient clinics
- Hospice and palliative care centers
- Schools and colleges
- Public health departments
- Women’s health facilities
- Veteran’s Administration
There are many different nurse practitioner concentration programs you may choose from. Take our online nursing personality quiz to find out what type of nursing specialties are best suited for you.
What is the job market like for FNPs?
There is a great deal of demand for Family Nurse Practitioners. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall employment for nurse practitioners to grow by 45% from 2022-2032. This is much faster than the national average for all occupations and is largely due to the increasing emphasis on preventive care and the burgeoning need for healthcare services for our aging population.
Overall, job opportunities for nurse practitioners are expected to remain excellent. Now might be the ideal time to earn the credentials necessary to elevate your career in this highly rewarding field.
How long it takes to become a family nurse practitioner
Becoming an FNP may take approximately 2-5 years depending on where you are now in nursing, the number of credits you can transfer, and whether you choose a full or part-time schedule. After attaining your master’s degree you’ll need to get certified and obtain licensure in your state before officially becoming a nurse practitioner.
2. Become an RN with a nursing degree (ADN, BSN)
There are several different routes you can take to become a nurse practitioner depending on where you are in your current career and the amount of transferrable credits you already have from a prior degree.
To enroll in one of Herzing University’s FNP program options, completion of an associate degree, bachelor's degree or RN diploma is required, and you’ll need to hold a current, active and unencumbered license as a registered nurse.
The biggest step to become an RN is to enroll in an undergraduate nursing degree program. The Herzing University School of Nursing is built to help you start an exciting new career in nursing:
Discover our many potential BSN pathways, including bridge options for LPNs and other healthcare professionals, an accelerated BSN option for those who hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, and an online BSN option available in select states.
You can potentially earn RN licensure faster in the ASN pathway, then enroll in an RN to MSN-FNP program in the future. We also offer bridge options for LPNs and other healthcare professionals—available at select campus locations (no online option).
If you have are not yet an RN and hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree, you may be eligible for our online MSN - Direct Entry program. You can first become an MSN-prepared RN, then enroll in a post master's certificate FNP program in the future.
If your GPA isn’t high enough to qualify for nursing school, you may be eligible to enroll in our Associate of Science in General Studies – Pre-nursing program. You can potentially increase your GPA, take some nursing support courses, and apply to nursing school in the future.
After completing your education you’ll need to pass the NCLEX-RN and meet the board of nursing requirements in your state to become an RN. How long it takes to become an RN depends largely on your prior education and chosen degree path. Current RNs can potentially bridge to NP in less time given their prior education and experience.
Regardless of where you are on the nursing continuum, there’s a path you can follow with Herzing University to achieve your career goal of becoming a family nurse practitioner.
Earn an MSN
3. Enroll in an FNP program
You can potentially choose from multiple online FNP programs with Herzing University. The pathway you choose depends on what nursing education you've already earned (or plan to earn as part of first becoming an RN):
- Program length: 20 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Degree required: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Program length: 24 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Degree required: Associate of Science in Nursing
- Program length: 16-20 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Degree required: Master of Science in Nursing
- Program length: 32 months
- Classes: View the curriculum
- Degree required: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Alternative options. If you'd like to work as a nurse practitioner in a primary care capacity, you may also consider the adult gerontology and pediatric specialties. We also offer similar degree pathways in these concentrations. Learn more about our AGNP and PNP programs.
Classes Start January 6th
Waived Enrollment Fee4. Complete your clinicals and graduate
One of the most important elements of becoming a nurse practitioner is the FNP program clinicals. At Herzing, you’ll complete 675 hours of precepted clinical experience with a preceptor that you have identified in your local area and 500 individual patient encounters to practice your skills of assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation.
Finding a preceptor can be one of the biggest challenges many nursing students face. Our guide to finding an nurse practitioner preceptor can answer many of your questions about the process and what's expected of you. With Herzing University you are never alone. We support you in your search for a preceptor for your clinical practicum.
A distinct advantage of earning your master’s degree at Herzing is the university’s vast network of partnership sites. At Herzing you’ll have a clinical coordinator who will help you locate clinical sites and preceptors. There is a clinical guidance process to help you along the way as well as online nursing orientation and clinical readiness modules to ensure you have the tools you need to be successful along the way.
5. Pass the certification exam
Graduates from the Herzing University FNP program are eligible to sit for one of two FNP certification exams:
You may choose the exam you’d like to take. Both organizations are widely recognized certifying boards and passing either exam makes you a certified FNP.
The MSN faculty are invested in your success on the certification exam. From the time you start your program at Herzing University until graduation day, you will receive tips for certification success. There are educational touchpoints with an academic advisor as needed and exams that are placed strategically throughout the curriculum to ensure that you are meeting the appropriate benchmarks in the program.
If you are able to meet specific requirements and pass the certification exam on the first attempt, you will receive reimbursement for the cost of the exam.
6. Obtain licensure in your state
Licensing is handled by your state’s board of nursing. There are very few states allowing nurse practitioners to practice without certification – but even in those cases employers and insurers often require nurse practitioners become certified.
In order to practice in another state you will be required to become licensed there as a registered nurse if you are not currently in a compact state. Then you may become licensed as an advanced practice nurse.
Contact the board of nursing in your state to find their requirements for FNP licensure.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for nurse practitioners is expected to rise 52% from 2020 through 2030, an expectation far surpassing the average across all occupations.*
Expect your skills and abilities to be in very high demand by the time you get your master’s degree.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners earn an average salary of $128,490 per year ($61.78 per hour). Pay depends on many factors, including your location, what healthcare institution you work for and your level of experience.*
Discover the average nurse practitioner salary by state and find out what nurse practitioners make on average near you.
It’s a big decision for you and your family. One former Herzing University FNP student explains what you need to know before enrolling in an FNP program.
No, an FNP is not a doctor, or physician. Their duties, roles and responsibilities are very different, along with their required education and certification.
However, family nurse practitioners are more and more regularly acting as primary care providers, especially in rural locations and certain states where there is less restrictions on what nurse practitioners can and can’t do. FNPs are often given independence and autonomy in the right circumstances.
Take it from an RN who has already made the leap. Here are the biggest reasons to become a family nurse practitioner. It all starts by getting the education and qualifications you need to take the next step.
The Herzing University online MSN-FNP program is not entry level. We require a BSN degree from an accredited university or college and a current, active and unrestricted license as an RN for acceptance into our MSN-FNP program.
If you have no experience in nursing and are considering a second career as a family nurse practitioner, see our accelerated BSN program option or MSN Direct Entry program. These programs can put you on track to earn your bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing to become an RN and qualify for our FNP program options.
Additional RN options include our Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) and 3-year BSN programs. We now offer an online BSN program for non-nurses, available for enrollment in select U.S. states.
If you are already an APRN having earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in another specialty, we can help you transition into becoming a certified nurse practitioner faster. Our online post graduate FNP certificate program is built for you.
Enroll full-time and you can complete the program in as few as 16 months. Coursework is delivered 100% online with a 675 clinical hour requirement to fully prepare you to thrive in your new career as a family nurse practitioner.
The answer really depends on the state where you’d be working. There are a few basic levels of practice: full, reduced and restricted.
Explore this map from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners to discover your state’s standards and get an understanding of what it means.
Over the course of your education, you’ll learn much more detail about the scope of practice for family nurse practitioners vs. other roles in healthcare.
7. Start Your Career as a Family Nurse Practitioner
Becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner can be life-changing for you as well as for the patients you treat and the community in which you live.
If you’re ready to be part of the solution to the challenges faced by today’s healthcare industry, there’s never been a better time to get started on the path to an exciting new career as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Related reading
Learn more about our FNP program options
1. The master’s degree program in nursing at Herzing University Online is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
Classes Start January 6th
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